Bloomfield Township Senior Center members pose with Director Christine Tvaroha (center, in blue). The township is requesting a millage renewal on the August ballot, which would allow for the center to continue normal operations of its 75 programs and classes. Megan Semeraz/The Oakland Press

Bloomfield Township Senior Center members pose with Director Christine Tvaroha (center, in blue). The township is requesting a millage renewal on the August ballot, which would allow for the center to continue normal operations of its 75 programs and classes. Megan Semeraz/The Oakland Press

In August, township residents will vote on renewing the senior services millage, which is .24 mills, for 10 years. The proposal would generate $769,000 per year.

Director Christine Tvaroha said the millage is important to continue normal operations of the center and the services it provides.

“The millage represents half of our operating budget,” Tvaroha said. “In order to provide the services that we do like Meals on Wheels and transportation and minor home repair and of course all of the programs going on, the senior service millage does support everything we do.”

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The other half of the budget is generated from classes at the center, said Township Supervisor Leo Savoie.

Savoie said: “It allows to basically keep the Senior Center open, at the same level and capacity that we have today.”

If the millage does not pass, the Senior Center will have to make significant cuts.

“It is up to the township board as to whether they would gain some more input from the public to find out why (it didn’t pass), possibly consider putting it back on for another opportunity for voters to weigh in — that’s really their choice,” Tvaroha said.

“We would have to sit down and look at our operation and see what is most important and what can we afford to do,” Tvaroha said.

Local blogger Marcia Robovitsky said she opposes this millage. Even though she is an active member of the senior center and loves the facility, she said a millage is not the answer.

Robovitsky believes that the millage is unfair because even non-members would have to pay it. She thinks a better solution is to charge each member of the senior center $100 per year, including non-residents who use the center.

She also does not believe there is a threat to Meals on Wheels or transportation programs because they are grant-based and volunteer programs.

Tvaroha said the center does get a small amount of money for the minor home repair and transportation programs.

“Those things would likely continue,” Tvaroha said. “But other services and programs would have to be evaluated and prioritized.”

“People in the community love the senior center,” Savoie said.

The Senior Center opened in 2009 and welcomes an average of 92 new people each month.

The Meals on Wheels program delivers 12,700 hot meals annually and also serves as a welfare check to aging community members. The transportation program provides 5,000 rides to the center per year.

Finally, The Friendship Club provides 15,000 hours of service to care for those with dementia.